Question

What are the five characteristics of light?

Answer 1

Light

1. Light is an electromagnetic radiation that can be perceived by the human eye.
2. Visible light usually ranges between 400-700nm corresponding to frequencies of 750-420terahertz.
3. They are found in electromagnetic spectrum between infrared and ultraviolet rays.

The five main characteristics of light are:

1. Light is made up of packets of energy called photons - Although light is a wave, these waves could gain or lose energy only in finite amounts related to their frequency, this packets of energy are called photons.
2. It is relatively narrow in the band of electromagnetic waves - It ranges from400-700nm between infrared and ultraviolet rays, so it is relatively narrow.
3. It travels very fast at a speed of $3\times {10}^{8}m{s}^{-1}$.- All forms of electromagnetic radiation move with a speed of $3\times {10}^{8}m{s}^{-1}$ in vacuum.
4. It has both particle and wave characters - quantum mechanics proved light to have both particle and wave nature.
5. Light travels the fastest in vacuum - since there is no obstruction in vacuum for the propagation of light, light travels fastest in vacuum.